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Summary Charts of English Tenses

Chart 1. Tenses in the active voice

Simple present

Present continuous

Present perfect

Present perfect continuous

Meaning 1: The action

has just ended.
Meaning 1: Habitual,
regular action in the
present.
Time expressions:
usually; every day;
often; sometimes;
rarely; never.
Examples: I usually
work till seven o'clock.
I often talk to him on
the phone. He visits
them sometimes.
Meaning 2: Stating a
fact, general truth, state
or condition.
Examples: He lives in
Moscow and works at a
bank. He plays the
piano quite well. Her
house is very small.
The sun rises in the
east.

Meaning 1: The action is Time expressions:

going on right now.
already; just; yet.
Time expressions: now; Examples: He has
right now; at the moment. already done it. I have
just seen him.
Examples: You are
reading this material now. Meaning 2: Reporting
I'm writing a letter at the how things have
moment. Look! Anton is developed by now.
playing the piano.
Time expressions: by
Meaning 2: The action is now; so far; never;
going on at the present
ever; several times.
period of time (but not at
the moment of speaking). Examples: So far, he
has read five books. He
Time expressions: now; has never been there.
at present; today; this
Meaning 3: The action
year.
has lasted for some
Examples: She is writing time by now.
a new novel now. He is
Time expressions: for
studying German this
a year; since; lately.
year.

Meaning 1: The action has

lasted for some time by now
and is still going on.
Time expressions: for an
hour; for a week; for five
years; all day; since.
Examples: He has been
sleeping for two hours
already. She has been
working as a teacher since
she graduated from college.
How long have you been
waiting here?
Meaning 2: The action has
been going on lately.
Examples: All of them have
been working very hard
lately. I have been thinking
about starting my own
business. We have just been
talking about you.

Example: He has lived

here since 1995.

Note: Simple present

can replace the simple
future with the
meaning "according to
schedule, timetable".

Note: Present perfect

Note: Present continuous may replace the
can replace the simple
present perfect
future with the meaning continuous for the
"preplanned action".
action that has lasted
for some time by now.

Note: Present perfect

continuous in Meaning 2 is
often used without time
expressions.

Examples: The ship

arrives next week. He
works tomorrow.

Examples: I'm going to

leave tomorrow. I am
leaving tomorrow.

Example: He has
Example: It has been raining
worked in this
hard, and the ground is still
company for ten years. wet.

Note: Simple present is Note: Stative verbs

used instead of the
"know, understand,
present continuous with remember, like, love,
stative verbs.
hate, want, see, hear,
seem, look", etc., are
Examples: I see a little generally not used in the
boy. I understand what continuous tenses.
you mean.

Note: Present perfect

is used instead of the
Note: Stative verbs "know,
present perfect
continuous with stative understand, remember, like,
love, hate, want, see, hear,
verbs.
seem, look", etc., are
Examples: She has
generally not used in the
known them for six
continuous tenses.
years. She has loved
him all her life.

Simple past

Past continuous

Past perfect

Meaning: The action

happened (started and
ended) in the past.

Meaning: The action

Meaning: The action was
happened before
going on (1) when another
another past action or
past action happened or
before some point of
(2) at some point of time
time in the past.
in the past.

Time expressions:
yesterday; last week;
last year; in 1995; in
2009; two hours ago;
four years ago.
Examples: I saw him
an hour ago. He came
back last Friday. She
went to the theater
yesterday. They visited
London in 2009.

Past perfect continuous

Meaning: The action lasted
for some time before another
past action or before some
point of time in the past.

Time expressions: by the

Time expressions: by
Time expressions: while;
time; before; after; by
the time; before; after;
when; at five o'clock
yesterday; by 2005; for two
by 1998; by yesterday;
yesterday.
hours; for a long time.
by last Sunday.
Examples: When he
came in, I was reading a
letter. We were watching
TV at three o'clock
yesterday.

Note: Simple past is

used for completed past
Note: Simple past is used
actions, including past
instead of the past
actions that lasted for
continuous with stative
some time or happened
verbs.
one after another.

Examples: By the time he

Examples: By the time
returned, I had been working
he returned, she had
for six hours. By 2006, he
already left. He left
had been living there for
only after he had
twenty years.
finished his work.
Note: Past perfect may
replace the past perfect
continuous for the
action that lasted for
some time before
another action in the
past.

Note: Past perfect is used

instead of the past perfect
continuous with stative
verbs.

Future continuous

Future perfect

Future perfect continuous

Meaning: The action will

Meaning: The action

will happen before

Meaning: The action will

Example: She looked

Example: She had known
Example: He sold cars
tired when I saw her at the
him for five years by the time
for two years, and then
Example: By the time
party yesterday.
they got married.
he quit his job and
he returned, I had
began to write novels.
worked for six hours.
Simple future
Meaning: The action

will happen in the

future.

be going on (1) when

another future action or last for some time before
another future action
before some point of another future action or
happens or (2) at some
time in the future.
before some point of time in
Time expressions:
point of time in the future.
the future.
tomorrow; in a few
Time expressions: by
days; next week; in
Time expressions: at
the time; by 2035; by Time expressions: by the
2025; in the future.
three tomorrow; at this
tomorrow; before.
time; by 2030; before; for
time next year; when.
two hours.
Examples: I think he
Examples: By the time
will return next week. I Examples: He'll be
I get there, she will
Examples: By the time he
will probably see him sleeping at two o'clock. have left. By 2050,
returns, I will have been
in a few days. We'll be When you come to the
scientists will have
working for nine hours. By
home after eight.
library, I'll be sitting by
found the cure for
2025, he will have been
the central window.
cancer.
living here for fifty years.

Chart 2. Tenses in the passive voice

Simple present

Present continuous

Present perfect

Present
perfect
continuous

Meaning 1: The action has

just ended.
Meaning 1: Habitual, regular
action in the present.
Time expressions: usually;
every day; often; sometimes;
rarely.
Examples: Mail is usually
delivered at eight o'clock. This
blog is updated every day.

Time expressions: already;

just; yet.
Meaning: The action is
going on now.
Time expressions: now;
right now; at the moment.

Examples: He is being
Meaning 2: Stating a fact,
examined by the doctor at
general truth, state or condition. the moment. The report is
being typed right now.
Examples: English is spoken in
many countries. Water is
composed of hydrogen and
oxygen.

Simple past

Past continuous

Meaning: The action was

Meaning: The action happened
going on (1) when another
in the past.
past action happened or (2)

Examples: The letter has

already been sent. We have
just been informed of his
arrival.
Meaning 2: Reporting how
things have developed by
now.

Time expressions: by now;

so far; never; ever; several
times; since; lately.
Examples: So far, ten
workers have been fired. He
has never been invited to their
house before.
Past perfect
Meaning: The action
happened before another past
action or before some point of

Past
perfect
continuous

Time expressions: yesterday;

last week; last year; in 1996; in
2010; two hours ago.

at some point of time in the time in the past.

past.
Time expressions: by the
Time expressions: while;
time; before; after; by 1990;
Examples: His house was built when; at five o'clock
by yesterday; by last week.
a year ago. She was offered a
yesterday.
Examples: By the time I
good job last week. The
Examples: When I came to returned, the work on the
telephone was invented by
the hospital, Tom was being project had been finished. By
Alexander Bell.
examined by the doctor.
2005, five new hotels had
been built.

Simple future

Future continuous

Future perfect

Future
perfect
continuous

Meaning: The action will

happen in the future.

Meaning: The action will

happen before another future
action or before some point of
time in the future.

Time expressions: tomorrow; in

a few days; next week; in 2025;

in the future.

Time expressions: by the

time; by 2035; by tomorrow;

before.

Examples: The film will be

released in a month. This work
will be done tomorrow.

Examples: By the time you

return, the report will have
been typed. By 2050 the cure
for cancer will have been
found.

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